The Yike-a-cycle MechaniCard

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Christina West
5 years ago
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1 Instructions for Assembling The Yike-a-cycle MechaniCard Thank you very much for purchasing the Yike a cycle MechaniCard kit! This is the very first in my series of mailable kinetic sculptures. The parts in this kit are identical to those which I put together, for sale as completed works. Everything you need is included, except glue and tools. Please, follow these instructions, and study the accompanying diagrams, carefully, to successfully complete your working, MechaniCard model. Note: These directions are a work in progress. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please feel free to me blit@bradlitwin.com Gather the tools and materials you will need: Both Low and High Viscosity Type Cyanoacrylate Glues (Gap filling Super Glue for wood/paper) WARNING! Cyanoacrylate glue aggressively bonds skin. Exercise caution when applying, or when handling freshly glued assemblies. WEAR SAFETY GLASSES! Small Forceps (tweezers) Needle nosed pliers or hemastats Magnifier Toothpicks Small wire cutter Razor Blade/Hobby Knife Center Punch, 3/16 ¼ dia (6 7mm) Clothes Pins Dremel type grinder (optional) Familiarize yourself with all the parts of the kit, shown on the next page. Open the bag under good lighting, into a tray or well constrained work area, as some pieces are very small.

1 2 6 3 7 4 5 37 35 36 21 40 12 22 13 15 8 14 28 23 18 11 10 39 33 17 25 31 18. Large Roller Flange 19. Small Roller Flange (3) 20. Small Roller (3) 21. Circlet Strip 22. Hinge Pin 23.

2 Large Roller Flange 19. Small Roller Flange (3) 20. Small Roller (3) 21. Circlet Strip 22. Hinge Pin 23. Track Ring Spacer 24. Sun Gear 25. Planet Gear 26. Side Plate Support 27. Front Plate Support 28. Wheel Assembly 29. Tire 30. Left Fork 31. Right Fork 32. Fork Tube 33. Fork Spacer 34. Drive Plate Main Plate 2. Track Ring 3. Top Ring 4. Gear Ring 5. Rider Mount Rod 6. 1/8 dia x 3/16 Rivet (5) 7. 1/8 dia x 5/16 Rivet 8. Drive Belt 9. Dog Bone Spacer 10. Crank Pulley 11. Bottom Ring 12. Crank Strip 13. Outrigger 14. Hinge Plate (2) 15. Outrigger Spacer 16. Tube Mount 17. Large Roller Crank Sleeve 36. Sleeve Retainer 37. Crank Stave (2) 38. Square Shaft 39. Crank Sleeve Pin 40. Rider Mount Tube 41. Upper Leg Assy (2) 42. Lower Leg Assy (2) 43. Knee Pin (2) Not Shown: Mailer Box 1/16 dia Setup Pin (2)

Except as noted, all assemblies will be made with the High Viscosity, Gap filling type

Ring Assembly With fine sandpaper, smooth over the ends of the two, brass Setup Pins (1/16 dia.

½ long), so that you can insert them in the alignment holes of the Bottom Ring (11), as shown.

Apply cement to the face of the ring, along the inner edge, as shown, where the Gear Ring (4) will

3 Except as noted, all assemblies will be made with the High Viscosity, Gap filling type Cyanoacrylate glue. 1. Ring Assembly With fine sandpaper, smooth over the ends of the two, brass Setup Pins (1/16 dia. x approx. ½ long), so that you can insert them in the alignment holes of the Bottom Ring (11), as shown. Note the ring is White Face Down. Apply cement to the face of the ring, along the inner edge, as shown, where the Gear Ring (4) will be joined Printed Side Up. Press the gear ring down into good contact. Apply cement near the outer edge of the gear ring face, as shown, and assemble the Top Ring (3). With all three rings assembled, carefully remove the setup pins, and place a heavy weight on top, for a few minutes, insuring the ring assembly dries flat. Save the pins for later.

creating a slight hump and valley, as shown.

4 Ring Assembly (cont.) Attach the two Track Ring Spacers (23) as shown, covering the ring alignment holes. Note that these pieces are slightly asymmetrical, joining the wider side to the top ring. Bend the Track Ring (2) in two directions, as shown, creating a slight hump and valley, as shown. Be careful not to over bend the ring, which will create a permanent wrinkle in the metal foil. Dry fit the bent track ring on the supports and top ring, to get a sense of how the part is centered. Apply cement to the tops of the track ring spacers, and to the top ring, where the track ring will contact it.

Locate 3 Small Rollers (20), 1 Large Roller (18), 3 Small Roller Flanges (19), and one Large Flange (18).

5 Assemble the Track Ring on the top ring, as shown, pressing firmly on the cemented areas. 2. Main Plate Assembly Note: some kits have been shipped with a few of these parts already assembled. Locate 3 Small Rollers (20), 1 Large Roller (18), 3 Small Roller Flanges (19), and one Large Flange (18). Using a rivet (6 or 7) as an alignment guide, assemble the rollers and flanges as shown, being careful not to get cement on the rivet, which needs to be removed. When dry, make sure the rivet has a good running fit in the assembled rollers. Clean out the holes as needed.

Assemble the Front and Side Plate Supports (26, 27) to the

receive three 1/8 dia x 3/16 Rivets (6), retaining the roller

Take care not to get cement on the face of the plate.

6 Assemble the Front and Side Plate Supports (26, 27) to the underside of the Drive Plate (34) as shown. Allow to dry thoroughly. Apply a small amount of cement inside Main Plate (1) holes to receive three 1/8 dia x 3/16 Rivets (6), retaining the roller assemblies, as shown. Take care not to get cement on the face of the plate. Press the rivets through the roller assemblies fully, but not so hard as to prevent the rollers from turning, freely. Turn the rollers occasionally, after gluing.

Cement that comes out of the hole, on the bottom of the main plate, should be spread around the base of the protruding rivet.

Place the Drive Belt (8) in the V groove of the pulley, and secure the far end of the loop, with a clothes pin, as shown.

7 Cement that comes out of the hole, on the bottom of the main plate, should be spread around the base of the protruding rivet. Dry fit the Crank Pulley (10) in the main plate hole and the drive plate holes, lightly sanding the holes, if needed to achieve a good running fit. Insert the short hub end of the Crank Pulley into the lower right hole in the main plate, as shown. Place the Drive Belt (8) in the V groove of the pulley, and secure the far end of the loop, with a clothes pin, as shown. Apply cement to the mating surfaces of the drive plate supports. Fit the assembly over the crank pulley, and into place on the main plate. hold the assembly firmly for at least 30 seconds. Allow assembly to dry for another 30 minutes, before proceeding.

Slip the drive belt around the ring assembly, and into the groove, just above the bottom ring.

Install the remaining roller assembly, in the upper left corner of the main plate (not shown here).

plate. Apply cement to the underside of the Dog Bone (9) and press firmly into position, as shown.

Check for a good running fit of the Planet Gear (24) with its Rivet (6) before gluing into position,

8 Slip the drive belt around the ring assembly, and into the groove, just above the bottom ring. Then, slide the ring assembly into position, engaging the three roller flanges. Install the remaining roller assembly, in the upper left corner of the main plate (not shown here). Insert, but do not glue the remaining rivets (6, 7) as shown, from the underside, in the center of the plate. Apply cement to the underside of the Dog Bone (9) and press firmly into position, as shown. Remove the rivets promptly! Clean off any glue that may have gotten on the rivets. Check for a good running fit of the Planet Gear (24) with its Rivet (6) before gluing into position, with the gear teeth meshed, as shown. If desired, you can insert a paper shim under the rivet flange, to insure that the rivet isn t pushed in, too tightly.

Using the remaining 1/8 dia x 5/16 Rivet (7) as an alignment guide,

Assemble the Outrigger (13) on the spacer.

where the two Hinge Plates (14) will be installed.

9 Using the remaining 1/8 dia x 5/16 Rivet (7) as an alignment guide, assemble the Outrigger Spacer (15) onto the Sun Gear 24. Assemble the Outrigger (13) on the spacer. Remove rivet, remove any excess cement, and check for running fit, as before. Carefully scrape away the graphic layer on the end of the outrigger, where the two Hinge Plates (14) will be installed. Insert the Hinge Pin (22) in the hinge plates, as shown, apply cement, and clamp into position with a small clothes pin, or similar clamp. Before Proceeding, make sure the hinge pin turns freely. Lightly sand, as necessary.

Apply cement to the hinge pin and assemble the Tube Mount (16), as

Attach the Rider Mount Tube (40) to the underside of the tube mount, as

Use a generous amount of cement, since this union is subject to stress.

10 Apply cement to the hinge pin and assemble the Tube Mount (16), as shown. Allow this assembly to set for 30 minutes, before proceeding. Attach the Rider Mount Tube (40) to the underside of the tube mount, as shown. Use a generous amount of cement, since this union is subject to stress. When properly assembled, the tube cross the center of the mounting hole, as shown below. Rotate the ring assembly such that the high points of the track ring are at 12 and 6 O clock. With the remaining rivet, install the outrigger assembly at 90, as shown, meshing with the planet gear.

3. Rider Assembly I This part of the sculpture is a very finicky and unforgiving, little mechanism. There are numerous ways it can go wrong.

I have done all I reasonably can, to make it so that you re likely to have a successful outcome. Most importantly, take your time.

This is best done with a drill press, as perpendicularity will be critical for a later step.

Gently, hammer the pin, fully, into the knee of the Lower Leg Assy (41), as shown, allowing the pin to go into the fixture hole.

11 3. Rider Assembly I This part of the sculpture is a very finicky and unforgiving, little mechanism. There are numerous ways it can go wrong. Dry fit and carefully examine every little thing, as you go along. I have done all I reasonably can, to make it so that you re likely to have a successful outcome. Most importantly, take your time. Locate a scrap piece of hardwood or hard plywood, and drill a perpendicular, 1/16 diameter hole through it, near the edge. This is best done with a drill press, as perpendicularity will be critical for a later step. Insert the Knee Pin (43) through the knee of the Lower Leg Assy (42) and grasp with hemostat or pliers. Gently, hammer the pin, fully, into the knee of the Lower Leg Assy (41), as shown, allowing the pin to go into the fixture hole. Make sure the knee bends freely, loosening the pin, if necessary. Repeat the procedure, above, to assemble the other leg. Make sure you make both a Right and Left leg. The pin heads face the outer side of the assembly. Though not strictly necessary, I solder the knee joints with tin/lead. Be careful not to get solder inside the joint! Heat sinking the upper leg is required, to prevent remelting the upper ring joint.

12 Clip the knee pin close to the joint. For aesthetics, I grind about 2/3 of the pin head off, using a Dremel type grinder. Again, you have to keep things cool, or risk solder joints coming apart. The shape of the knee is cleaned up, either with a grinder, or a small, mill file.

4. Rider Assembly II The Wheel Assembly (28) is where functionality is made or lost. It takes four separate, custom fixture operations just to make this part.

In the image at left, the left pedal end is bent up, very slightly, while the other side is fine. Do not hold onto the wheel rim, to fix this! The spoke member is paper, and will bend or break.

Push less than you think is necessary, and carefully examine your results. In the right side image, the right pedal angle is a little less than 90.

13 4. Rider Assembly II The Wheel Assembly (28) is where functionality is made or lost. It takes four separate, custom fixture operations just to make this part. You are charged with taking care of the last bit of fine tuning. The wheel assembly you have is guaranteed to run true. However, the pedals might need a little tweak. In the image at left, the left pedal end is bent up, very slightly, while the other side is fine. Do not hold onto the wheel rim, to fix this! The spoke member is paper, and will bend or break. With flat nosed pliers, hold the wire, right next to the part of the pedal that needs adjustment. Gently, coax the pedal end with another pliers, forceps or the like. Push less than you think is necessary, and carefully examine your results. In the right side image, the right pedal angle is a little less than 90. This can be fixed by applying the plier jaws as shown in the phantom, and squeezing very gently. Less force is better! Nudge and check. Install the Tire (29). No glue is necessary. Slide the Right Fork (31) onto the pedal wire, until it reaches the spoke member. Press or glue one of your setup pins in the wood block, prepared above, about half way. Insert the Fork Tube (32) into the top fork hole. Do Not Glue!

Mount the assembly on the setup pin, as shown below.

Adjust the height of the fork tube, so that, with the pedal hanging over the side of the fixture, as shown, the fork member is parallel to the table.

Slide the Left Fork (30) onto the pedal and fork tube, leaving a 1/16 open gap, at the spacer.

Apply cement to the top of the spacer and press the fork down into place, while maintaining contact with the square edge and both fork members.

14 Mount the assembly on the setup pin, as shown below. Install the tapered Fork Spacer (33) with its narrow end next to the wheel, and leaving a small clearance for the tire. Adjust the height of the fork tube, so that, with the pedal hanging over the side of the fixture, as shown, the fork member is parallel to the table. This is a make or break procedure! Take your time. Dry fit, first. You get only one chance to do it right. Slide the Left Fork (30) onto the pedal and fork tube, leaving a 1/16 open gap, at the spacer. Line the assembly up, as shown at right, using a square or straight edge. Apply cement to the top of the spacer and press the fork down into place, while maintaining contact with the square edge and both fork members. Proper assembly is achieved if the tire spins freely, without rubbing the forks. You will have only a few seconds to make any fine adjustments. If it doesn t go together properly, STOP HERE! Attempt to sever the spacer glue joint, and take another shot at it. Otherwise, contact me for replacement forks and spacer $5 + postage. Adjust the fork tube so that 5/32 (4 mm) extends from both sides. Apply a generous amount of LOW Viscosity Cyanoacrylate cement around the tube, on the inside of both forks. Allow to dry for 30 minutes.

5. Rider Assembly III Install one leg assembly onto the tube and pedal, and give the

Take this leg off, and try the other side.

t get into, here. Please contact me for troubleshooting tips.

The picture at right shows there is only about 1/64 of the fork tube protruding

15 5. Rider Assembly III Install one leg assembly onto the tube and pedal, and give the wheel a spin. If you ve done it all right, so far, the leg should operate freely. Take this leg off, and try the other side. If they don t operate properly, there are a number of things to look at, which I won t get into, here. Please contact me for troubleshooting tips. Check the end play of the upper leg ring. The picture at right shows there is only about 1/64 of the fork tube protruding beyond the ring. This is insufficient for retaining the ring. With a fine file, reface the sides of the ring, until there is approximately 1/32 (0.8 mm) worth of tube protruding, as shown at right.

Install the legs. Place a washer, hex nut, or other metal piece at the base of your setup pin.

A center punch has a 90 cone at the end, whereas a nail set has a long taper.

You only need enough of a flare to keep the ring from coming off of the tube.

The pedal rings are retained by squeezing the protruding wire flat.

16 Install the legs. Place a washer, hex nut, or other metal piece at the base of your setup pin. With a center punch and small hammer, flare the tube ends. Do not use a nail set for this operation! A center punch has a 90 cone at the end, whereas a nail set has a long taper. Give a few gentle taps, to get a sense of how much the tube deforms. You only need enough of a flare to keep the ring from coming off of the tube. I generally allow the ring about (0.3 mm) end play. The pedal rings are retained by squeezing the protruding wire flat. To make this easier, trim the wire to about 1/16 (1.5 mm) past the pedal ring. Use a non cutting, smooth jawed pliers to squeeze the wire, as shown, leaving the pedal rings about (0.3 mm) end play. The resulting flat is trimmed up with a fine file. You now have a functioning rider!

6. Crank Assembly Assemble the crank parts at right angles: Crank Staves (37), Square Shaft (38), and Crank Sleeve Pin (39), as

Install the Crank Sleeve (35) and its Retainer Ring (36). Apply a sparing amount of cement around the top of the retainer.

Final Assembly The Mailer Box has four circular rings, partly cut out, on the inside.

These wells will receive the protruding rivet ends, on the underside of the main plate.

17 6. Crank Assembly Assemble the crank parts at right angles: Crank Staves (37), Square Shaft (38), and Crank Sleeve Pin (39), as shown. When completely dry, file/sand off excess wood. The square shaft should extend 3/8 (10 mm). Install the Crank Sleeve (35) and its Retainer Ring (36). Apply a sparing amount of cement around the top of the retainer. File/sand off the protruding pin, after cement dries. 7. Final Assembly The Mailer Box has four circular rings, partly cut out, on the inside. Remove the material inside the ring, but not the outer, white part. These wells will receive the protruding rivet ends, on the underside of the main plate. Kits with serial numbers 71/100/IK thru 81/100/IK may have one errantly placed circle, and should be checked to see that all the rivets sink into the box, properly. Correct box orientation is pictured below. Form the Circlet Strip (21) around a dowel, or other cylindrical object, approximately 5/8 (15 mm) in diameter. Then, insert the strip into the circular slot in the main plate, as shown.

Apply cement to underside of main plate, taking care not to foul the crank pulley hub.

wells, and hold in place for at least 90 seconds.

very slightly, about half way in from the ends, respectively.

that it won t rotate, without applying enough force to break the glue joint.

18 Apply cement to underside of main plate, taking care not to foul the crank pulley hub. Press the main plate onto mailer box, locating the rivet ends in their corresponding wells, and hold in place for at least 90 seconds. Before the Rider Mount Rod (5) is inserted into its tube, both ends have to be kinked very slightly, about half way in from the ends, respectively. When the rod is fully inserted into the tube, it should be very snug, but not so tight that it won t rotate, without applying enough force to break the glue joint. It only needs to be tight enough to keep the rider upright. Similarly, the end at which rider mounts needs only be snug enough to keep it from collapsing, under its own weight.

The rider mount rod is pre bent to an approximate configuration, and will need final

Remove the rider before re bending the rod, to avoid damaging the delicate mechanism.

tube roughly in line with the pedal axle, and perpendicular to it.

19 The rider mount rod is pre bent to an approximate configuration, and will need final adjustments. Remove the rider before re bending the rod, to avoid damaging the delicate mechanism. When properly adjusted, the rider wheel sits in the middle of the track ring, with the tube roughly in line with the pedal axle, and perpendicular to it. A small amount of toe in or toe out is acceptable. Insert the square shaft of the crank assembly into the crank pulley. Turning the crank, the rider should circulate smoothly in either direction.

If you re going to give the Yike a cycle away: Rotate the ring to the position where the high points of the track ring are at 12 and 6 O clock, respectively, and the outrigger oriented such that the

When the box is closed, the opening in the right side box flap completes a protective nest for the rider. The closed box fits in the parts bag, snugly.

20 If you re going to give the Yike a cycle away: Rotate the ring to the position where the high points of the track ring are at 12 and 6 O clock, respectively, and the outrigger oriented such that the rod end rests as shown. Slip the crank into the Crank Strip (12) and secure to the inner box flap, such that the square shaft fits under the drive plate. Place the rider in the circlet, as shown. When the box is closed, the opening in the right side box flap completes a protective nest for the rider. The closed box fits in the parts bag, snugly. Finally, print out the setup instructions provided at setup.pdf, so your recipient will know how to care for the piece. Though this little sculpture is fairly robust, it is nonetheless largely made of paper. Wear and tear is a sure to follow, as you pass it around. So, enjoy it while it lasts. Comments? Questions? Replacement parts? Contact me at blit@bradlitwin.com. For more MechaniCard and kinetic sculpture fun, visit MechaniCards.com and BradLitwin.com

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